Weatherproof roller construction



Feb. 19, 1946. w. E: SAXE 2,395,147

WEATHERPROOF ROLLER CONSTRUCTION Filed Feb. 15, 1945 #19164 0, Mac/z Foam-g y #696945,

Patented Feb. 19, 1946 WEATHERPROOF ROLLER CONSTRUCTION Walter E. Saxe, Alhambra, Calif., assignor to The Conveyor Company, Los Angeles, Calif., a corporation of California Application February 13, 1943, Serial N 0. 475,797

8 Claims.

My invention relates to rotary devices such as rollers, pulleys, sheaves, and the like, and is directed to the problem of protecting from the Weather bearings or other elements in the'axial regions of such rotary devices. Without employing any limitation in the scope of my concept or in the fields of usefulness of the invention, I elect to describe my weather-protecting arrangement as incorporated in the construction of an outdoor roller for the return traverse of a conveyor belt. Such a return-traverse roller may be directly exposed to rain or drenched with moisture squeezed from a water-soaked conveyor belt.

It is a feature of the invention that it meets effectively the requirements of large conveyor systems employed for large scale construction projects such as dams. The object of my invention is to satisfy such requirements. The prime requisite, of course, is effective protection against moisture, but also essential are ruggedness, simplicity, inexpensive construction, and suitable merging with the usual and necessary elements for mounting and supporting a conveyor roller.

for rotatably supporting the roller cooperates in protecting the axial region of the roller from the weather.

The above and other objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent from my following description, taken with the accompanying drawing. I

In the drawing which is to be regarded as merely illustrative only,

Fig. 1 is an end elevation of a conveyor roller embodying my invention, the roller being supported by a hanger;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section at one end of the roller taken as indicated by the line 2-2 of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is chiefly a longitudinal section of a casting employed at one end of the roller;

Fig. 4 is an elevation of the casting as viewed from the inner end; and

Fig. 5 is a cross section taken as indicated by the line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

A horizontally positioned conveyor roller generally designated I0 is mounted on a fixed nonrotating hexagonal shaft II that is shown supported by a hanger I2 from an overhead support. The roller It has a concave end wall I3 that is shaped to form a central cylindrical recess [5. The outer roller portion of an anti-friction bearing I6 is seated in the end recess I5, while the inner portion of the bearing is fixedly mounted on the hexagonal shaft II. At the other end of the roller It (not shown) is a second support means for the shaft II and a second bearing similar to the bearing I6.

The present invention comprises an outwardly extending annular flange I I on the end wall I3 concentric to the roller axis together with a shield generally designated I8. Preferably, but not necessarily, the shield I8 is integral with a body or special casting 20 mounted in the hanger I2 to engage and support the end of the hexagonal shaft I I.

The annular flange Il may be simply a collar welded onto the concave end Wall I3 but, by preference, Iemploy a collar such that the inner annular surface 2| of the collar is flared outwardly with respect to the roller axis. Thus the drawing shows a collar fabricated from sheet metal or steel plate, the collar being welded onto the end wall l3 of the roller. Such a collar made of sheet material provides not only the flared inner surface 2| but also a flared outer surface 22.

If the roller is stationary while exposed to rain, moisture falling on the upper side of the annular flange I1 and impinging on the end wall I3 of the roller above the annular flange will be diverted from the inner circular space 23 defined by the flange. It is readily apparent in Fig. 1 that when the roller I0 is stationary, the annular flange I! together with the end wall I3 forms a drainage channel 25 of V-shaped cross section, and it is further apparent that any moisture on the upper surface of the annular flange will drain into this channel. When the roller It] is rotating, liquid on the outer surface 22 of the annular flange l1 tends to flow by centrifugal action to the rim of the flange and is discharged centrifugally from the rim. As for the inner surface 2| of the flange II, it is apparent that any moisture that might conceivably enter the circular space 23 to fall on the lower portion of the annular flange will drain toward the rim of the flange if the roller is stationary and will flow centrifugally to the rim if the roller is rotating.

The casting 20 may be formed with a peripheral recess or groove 26 extending around the sides and bottom of the casting for engagement with a complementary cradle 21 formed in the hanger l2. By virtue of such an arrangement the casting 20 may be removably mounted on the hanger and yet be rigid with respect to the hanger. The casting 20 is formed With a blind hexagonal socket 28 to receive the end of the hexagonal shaft II, and a suitable set-screw 30 may be employed to insure retention of the shaft. It is contemplated that the set-screw will fit relatively snugly in its bore and will be coated with a suitable Water-resisting material such as heavy nonwater-soluble grease so that the socket 28 will be wholly waterproof.

The shield l8 integral with the casting 20 may take various forms to complete the protection of the circular space 23 against falling moisture. In the preferred practice of my invention the shield I8 is in the form of a wall extending upwardly into the annular space so that the annular flange ll overhangs the. upper edge 3| of the'wall. The drawing shows the shield to bean inwardly inciined wall of suflicient-extent laterally and vertically to adequately mask the circular space 23 fromv above, the lower portion of the shield, being spaced outward from the. circular space for drain age diversion. By making at least the upper edge 3| curved to conform with the annular configuration of the flange I1, I am able to place the upper edge 3| sufficiently close to the inner surface 2! of, the annular flange to preclude the possibility of moisture reaching the axial regions of the roller. The particular shield configuration shown, with the shield extending well into the circular space 23, makes it unnecessary to extend the shield below the level of the roller axis. Leaving the lower half of the circular space 23 open reveals the bearing Iii for inspection without exposing the bearing to rain.

There is necessarily a gap between the sides of the shield l8 and the adjacent portions of the surrounding annular flange H, but no moisture can fall vertically into the circular space 23. A y rain. falling in an inwardly inclined direction would be completely blocked by the shield I? from the upper half of the circular space 23 and most of the lower half.. Any moisture that falls within the lower half of the circular space from an inclined direction impinges on the lower portion of the inner annular surface 2| and then readily drains outwardly away from the circular space either by gravity or by centrifugal force, as heretoforenoted.

The present arrangement. is highly eflicient even in the face of rain driven inwardtoward the end of the. roller at a relatively low angle. Thus the hanger I2 is in the form of a relatively extensive wall serving as a. curtain wider than the diameter of the annular flangev l1 and extending below the axis of the roller l substantially to the lowest level of the annular flan [1. The hanger is cut away to provide a window 32 for admission of. the casting. 20, but. the shield I8. is positioned to intercept ans/rain. falling inward thronghthiswindow. Thusthe shield 18 is..complementary to the hanger 12 in that. the. shield stops. any rainfalling throughthe hanger openins, and the. hanger stops any rain that might otherwise be driven. toward. the roller below the shield.

Itls to be further noted that. there. is what may e termed a tapering clearanoebetween the shield l8 and the end walll3. of the. roller. Thus, Fig. 2 shows the rim. of. the shield 18 inclined away from the end wall l3 so that the clearance between the two is at a minimum at the top of the shield and increases progressively both Ways from the top. Any solid particle falling in the clearance space will not tend to wedge between the shield and roller, since the rotation of the roller will tend to carry the particle in a direction of increasing clearance.

The preferred form of my invention described in detail herein will suggest to those skilled in the art various changes and substitutions under my basic concept; I reserve the right to all such departures from my description that properly lie within the scope of my appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. Means for protecting against falling moisture the axial region at the outer end of a roller and the like, comprising: an outwardly extending annular flange on the end of the roller; and a fixed. shield extending upwardly into the circular space defined by said annular flange, the annular flange overhanging the uppe edge of said shield to prevent falling moisture from dropping inside said upper edge, said shield masking said space, and said shield being so formed that the clearance between said shield and the roller is relatively small at the upper edge of said shield and increases progressively downwardly therefrom, whereby solids between said shield and said flange are removed by rotation of said flange.

2. 'In means for protecting'from falling moisture the region of a shaft on which a roller o the like is rotatably mounted, the combination of: an outwardly extending annula flange on the end of the roller, the inner surface of said annular flange being of flaring configuration o that moisture thereon tends to gravitate to the rim of the flange when the roller is stationary; a support wall spaced from the end of the roller to serve as a curtain for intercepting driving rain directed toward the circular space defined by said flange, said Wall having an opening forming a support seat and an open window above the seat; a body normally resting in said seat, said body bein movable through saidwindow into and out of said seat, said body having a blind socket encasing the end of said shaft; and a shielding wall integral with said body having a curved upper edge eX-- tending into the circular space defined by the annular flange, the annular flange overhanging said curved upper edge ofsaid shielding wall to prevent moisture from dropping inside said upper edge, said shielding wall being positioned relative to said Window to intercept rain driven through the window toward said circular space.

3. In means for protecting from falling moisture the region of a shaft on which a roller or the like is rotatably mounted, the combination of: an outwardly extending annular flange on the end of the roller; a support wall spaced from the end of the roller to serve as a curtain for intercepting rain directed toward the circular space defined by said flange, said Wall having an opening forming a support seat and a window above the seat; a body normally resting in said seat, said body being movable through said window into said seat, said body supporting said shaft: and a shielding wall associated with said body and extending into the circular space defined by the annular flange, the annular flange overhanging the upper edge of said shielding wall to prevent moisture irom dropping inside said upper edge.

4.. In means for protecting from falling moisture the region of a shaft on which a roller or the like is rotatably mounted, the combination of an outwardly extending annular flange on the end of the roller, the inner surface of said annular flange being of flaring configuration so that moisture thereon tends to gravitate to the rim of the flange when the roller is stationary and tends to travel centrifugally to the rim of the flange when the roller is rotating; a support wall spaced from the end of the roller to serve as a curtain for intercepting rain directed toward the circular space defined by said flange, said wall having an opening forming a support seat and a window above the seat; a body normally resting in said seat, said body being movable through said window into said seat, said body supporting said shaft; and a shielding wall associated with said body and extending into the circular space defined by the annular flange, said shielding wall being positioned relative to said window to intercept rain driven through the window toward said circula space.

5. In means for protecting from falling moi-sture the region of a shaft on which a roller or the like is rotatably mounted, the combination of: an outwardly extending annular flange on the end of the roller; a support wall spaced from the end of the roller to serve as a curtain for interceptin rain directedtoward the circular space defined by said flange, said wall having an associated support seat and a Window above the seat; a body normally resting in said seat, said body being movable through said window into said seat, said body supporting said shaft; and a shielding wall associated with said body and extending into the circular space defined by the annular flange, said shielding wall being positioned relative to said window to intercept rain passing through the window toward said circular space.

6. In means for protecting from falling moisture the region ofa shaft on which a roller or the like i rotatably mounted, the combination of: an outwardly extending annular flange on the end of the roller; a support wall spaced from I the end of the roller to serve as a curtain for intercepting rain directed toward the circular space defined by said flange, said wall having an associated support seat and a window above the seat; ady n llyresting in said seat, said body being movable through said Window into said seat, said body supporting said shaft; and a shielding wall associated with said body and extending into the circular space defined by the annular flange.

7. In means for protecting from falling moisture the region of a shaft on which a roller or the like is rotatably mounted, the combination of: an outwardly extending annular flange on the end of the roller; and a support wall spaced from the end of the roller to serve as a curtain for intercepting rain directed toward the circular space defined by said flange, said wall having an associated support seat and a window above the seat; a body normally resting in said seat, said body being movable through said window into said seat, said body supporting said shaft.

8. In means for protecting against failling moisture the region of a shaft on which a roller or the like is carried for rotation, the combination of: an outwardly extending annular flange for the end of said roller; a support for said shaft and spaced from the position of the end of aid roller; and a fixed shield associated with said support and extending upwardly into the ciroular space defined by said annular flange, the annular flange overhanging the upper edge of said shield to prevent falling moisture from dropping inside said upper edge, and said shield being so formed that the clearance between said shield and said roller position is relatively small at the upper edge of said shield and increases progressively downward therefrom, whereby solids between said shield and said flange are removed by rotation of said flange.

WALTER E. SAXE. 

